The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-15
LABOR MATTERS.
Strike in Big Tobacco Manufactory-Thirty
Five Hundred Employees Idle.


Five Hundred Employees Idle.
JERSEY CITY, n j., Jan. 14-About 1000
hands struck work this morning at P. Lorilliard's
tobacco factory. because of q proposed reduction
in their wages Last week Assistant Superin-
tendent w. S. Brown notified the employees in
the plug department. that their wages would be
reduced 25 cents on the 1000 pounds, and the
wages of those working by the week would be
cut down from SO to Sc. Yesterday Mr.. Brown
discharged seven employees working in the plug
department, and filled their places with new
men. The discharge Of these new men was de-
manded by the employees, who refused to work
with them. The superintendent refused to COM
ply, and the entire force in that department
struck. At noon they were followed by 400 men
from the box factory and 400 girls in the filing
department. The strikers refuse to return
the ola terms, and the factory has been closed
The remaining employees quit work this after
noon. The last to go out were the girls who put
revenue stamps on the manufactured goods.
The entire force of about $500 employees are
now out and the large factories are idle. The
strikers dispersed quietly and there was no dis
order.
Powderly Writes Letter About His Salary
Pittsburg Special
The controversy among the Knights of Labor
regarding Grand Master Workman Powderly's
salary of $1,000 per annum has developed into
such serious proportions that Powderly has
written a pointed letter on the subject to H. II.
Bengough, of this city. Mr.. Powderly's defense
OF his salary is as follows ~ am literally be-
sieged with correspondence indorsing my action
in matters pertaining to the order, but find very
few who attach any Importance to the attacks
made by individuals or newspapers. The unfair
reference in the press to the $4,000 salary hurts
my feelings most do not merit that kind of
treatment AS you know, I always refused
high salary for myself, and for several years
peremptorily refused the offer from the general
assembly, but at the last session found myself
confronted and open to two charges, either of
which was sure to prevail against me, through
the efforts of designing enemies inside and out
side the order First, if advance salary ia
vored by the representatives at Richmond and
the order at large was refused, then / wou ld be
dishonest and certainly under compensation from
the enemies of the ORDER or the great labor to be
performed would not be undertaken; second if
an advance of salary was accepted, then it could
be said it came from the hard working people of
the country, and the services rendered were not
adequate for the salary fixed. This the I'M
pleasant position of affairs, but word in favor
of the proposed action of the assembly came
from me. Had my individual interests been
suited, the offer of 800 per week. made previous
to the session at Hamilton, would have been &C.
cepted, as the proposed labor would have called
but for eight horrs in twenty-four Since then
offers have come to me unsolicited, ranging from
$4,000 to Sc, 900 year, for my services in bust
ness pursuits, four of which now stand open for
my accentance. The duties of the position held
in the order require close and exhaustive mental
labor, anywhere from twelve to eighteen hours
day, and, therefore, cannot be considered sine
cure" He concludes by saying that he will
stand by the order. regardless of enemies. He
worked for it, he states. when the privilege of
doing had to be paid for, and he is determined
to work for it. pay or no pay, until his life's la
bors end